Apparatus for treating feet



Feb. 11;, 1936.

H. J. DQRRANCE APPARATUS FOR TREATING FEET ori inai Filed Feb. 16, 19:53

2 Sheets-Sheet l lllklIl INVENTOR Patente Feb. M, 3936 APPARATUS FORTREATMG FEET Harold J. Dorrance, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application February 16, 1933, Serial No. 657.01 Renewed November 13,193d 11 Claims. ((31. 128-25) This invention relates to the treatment ofdefective feet and more particularly to a device or apparatus forstretching adhesions in order to restore normal functioning of thecubo-cuneiform as well as the other articulations.

Experience has taught me that best results in stretching adhesions indefective human feet are obtained if the muscles of the feet to betreated are relaxed when the stretching takes place. With this thoughtin mind, an object of this invention is to provide a device or apparatuswhereby the muscles of the feet to be treated are first relaxed and thenwhile relaxed, are stretched and normal functioning of thecubo-cuneiform as well as the other articulations restored.

This, as well as other objects which will readily appear to thoseskilled in the treatment of defective feet are accomplished by thedevice or apparatus disclosed herein and the device for carrying out themethod, which device is described in the specification and illustratedin the drawings accompanying and forming part of this application.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a device by means of which themethod of this invention may be carried out.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device with some of the parts brokenaway.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on line IIJIIII of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of portions of the device and Fig. 5is a fragmentary view on a reduced scale of portions of the device..

The device for carrying out my method of treatment broadly consists of areciprocating floor or support; a live rubber ball which rests on thesupport or floor and is prevented from moving sidewise or laterally ofthe support or floor; means for strapping the foot to be treated inplace above the support or fioor so that the rubber ball pressesupwardly against the dome or so-called longitudinal arch of the footwith sufficient pressure to materially flatten the ball; and mechanismfor reciprocating the ball support or floor back and forthlongitudinally of the foot. The mechanism for reciprocating the ballsupport is such that the stroke or length of reciprocations thereof maybe varied as desired so that the stretching action to which theadhesions are subjected may be made to be light, severe or graduatedbetween light and severe.

I have found that by strapping the foot' in position above the rubberball in such manner that the ball is materially compressed or flattened,the yielding pressure exerted by the ball in a short time causes thefoot muscles to relax. After relaxation occurs, the ball is caused toroll back and forth in contact with the dome or socalled longitudinalarch and I find that in this way normal functioning of all articulationsis more or less readily restored. Where the articulation has becomerigid or locked, repeated treatments extending over a short period oftime are found necessary, the treatments starting with moderatestretching and increasing in severity until normal functioning isrestored.

A single treatment with my device or apparatushas been found to behighly beneficial and in many cases to give almost immediate relief.

Specifically, the device illustrated in the drawings comprises abox-like structure having side members 6, a base member Land end members8, the structure having an open top.

Secured to the inner sides of the side members and extendinglongitudinally of the structure are two members 9. These members 9 serveas shelves or supports for a series of rollers it]. Rollers Ill arepreferably formed from some rustless metal and have their ends reducedas shown at H for mounting or journaling within cross, grooves ordepressions formed in the upper surfaces of shelf or support members 9and which are indicated at E2 in Figures 2 and 3. These rollers Illconstitute what may be termed an antifriction support for floor l3 abovereferred to for supporting the yielding. or compressible rubber ball it.

Bali M is preferably made of live rubber and as shown in the drawings, ametal rod 85 extends axially through the ball.

The upper surface of platform or floor i3 is provided with a centrallyextendingarcuate depression l6 as indicated in the drawings and theplatform is provided with a covering ll preferably of metal, havingcross ribs it as indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. At one end of thestructure, the top is floored over as at 99 and a heel restor support 20is secured to flooring IS. The forward end of the central portion oithis flooring is cut away as at 21 in order-to accommodate the ball l din its extreme movement toward the heel rest 20.

Two relatively stifi metal rods 22 extend from floor member 19 to theopposite end of the struc ture and the forward ends of these (whichextend in spaced relation above the tops of the side walls 6-) aremounted in a metal end plate or member as secured against the forwardend of the device. The forward ends of rods 22 are reduced and threadedand extend through holes formed for that purpose in plate 23.- Wing nuts24 are employed for securing the forward ends of therods in position.The rear ends of the rods are flattened and secured to floor member i9by means of suitable screws 25.

The rod l whichextends axially through ball ll has its ends securedwithin retaining members 28 by means of set screws 21.

Each retaining member 26 is provided witha circular portion 28 whichloosely surrounds one of the side rods 22. Spacing washers 23surrounding rod ii are located on rod l5; one on each side of ball ll.In this. manner ball H is held centrally of the support or floor 13.

A toe rest 30 is slidably mounted on bars 22, and is provided with toestraps 3| and is adapted to be locked in proper position on side rods 22by means of a set screw 30. Heel support 23 is supplied with an anklestrap 32.

The toe and ankle straps are provided with the necessary buckles andpads as will be well the frictional contact with said support.

understood.

An operating lever 33 preferably of bent form as clearly shown in Fig.-1 is pivotally mounted to base I at 34. One side member 6 of the structure is slotted as at 35 and floor or support member I3 is provided witha pin 36 which extends outwardly through slot 35 and through a, slot 31formed in the lower portion of lever 33. Pin 38- is headed as-shown at38.

In Fig. 5, I have indicated by dotted'lines the swinging of lever 33 andalso by dotted lines I have indicated the compressing of the rubber ballII. The arrow indicates the pressure exerted on the ball by the footbeing treated, the ball being compressed between the dome or so-calledlongitudinal arch of the foot and the movable platform or support l3.

When a patients foot has been strapped to the device, and operatinglever 33 is rocked back and forth, floor or support member I3 is drivenback and forth whereby the ball is driven by The ball travels in thesame direction as .the support member moves, and causes pressure ofvariable magnitude to be applied to the sole of the foot for purposesalready mentioned.

I have found that very satisfactory results are obtained by utilizing ahigh grade sponge rubber ball in place of what I term a live rubberball. I have also found that starting treatments with a sponge rubberball and changing the balls to those of.increasing stiffness is helpfulin some cases. The type of ball used will depend somewhat .upon thenature of the case being treated.

The support for platform l3 of course can be modified and aslong as theplatform is so mounted as to be capable of being moved with smalleffort, it will be satisfactory.

It will be understood that various modifications over the structureshown may be made and so long as method of treatment may be obtained,the device will fall within the spirit and scope of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent isz- 1. In a devicefor treating human feet, thecombination with a rollable elastic member and a reciprocable supportfor said member, of means for securing a foot in position above saidmember in such manner that said member is compressed by contact with aportion of the bottom of the so-called longitudinal arch of the foot andmeans for reciprocating said member-support whereby said member iscaused to roll back and forth in contact with said arch.

2. The combination with an elastic ball, of a reciprocable support forsaid ball, means for securing a foot in position above said ball in suchmanner that the ball is flattened by pressure exerated by a part of theso-called longitudinal arch of the foot and means for reciprocating theball supportwhereby the ball is caused to roll bee and forthlongitudinally of the'foot.

3. In a device for treating feet, a heel support, means for securing theheel within the support, an adjustable toe support, means for securingthe forward portion of the foot within the toe support, means forlocking the toe-support in adjusted position, a support member mountedfor back and forth movement below the foot, a rollable resilient agentinterposed between the foot and said support member, and means'forimparting back and forth movement to saidsupport member whereby when thefoot is strapped in position in the device said resilient agent iscaused to exert pressure on the under part of the foot.

4. In a device for correcting defective feet, a reciprocating support, ayieldable ball-like member adapted to engage the support and to berotated by frictional contact therewith as the support is reciprocated,means for, securing a foot in position in said device with saidball-like member interposed between the foot and said support, and meansfor reciprocating the support whereby said ball-like member is causedtoroll back and forth under the foot and exert yielding correctivepressures against the so-called longitudinal arch of the foot. y

5. In a device for correcting defective feet, a

. reciprocating support, ayieldable ba1l-like memwhereby the ball-likemember is caused to roll back and forth under the foot and exertyielding corrective pressures of variable magnitude and means forguiding the ball-like member.

6. ma device for correcting defective feet,

a reciprocating support, a yieldable ball mounted to bear on and befrictionally driven by said support, a rod extending through the balland crosswise of the support, stationary guides on each side of thesupport, a slider on each guide to which the ends of said rod aresecured, a toe support adjustably mounted on said guides and adapted tohold the toe of a foot in position, a heel support for holding the heelof the foot in position and means for reciprocating the support wherebythe ball is propelled back and forth longitudinally of the foot andbetween the toe and heel and yieldable corrective forces of variablemagnitude are caused to be exerted against the under side of the foot.

'7. In a device for treating human feet, the combination with a rollableelastic member, of means for securing a foot in fixed position abovesaid member in such manner that said member is compressed by contactwith the bottom of the foot'and means for causing said member whilecompressed to roll back and forth lengthwise of the foot.

8. In a device for treating human feet, the.

securing a foot in fixedposition above said ball in such manner that theball ,is compressed by pressure exerted, and means for causing said ballwhile compressed to roll back and forth lengthwise of the foot.

9. In a device for treating human feet, the combination with a'tinovablesupport, of a rollable elastic member, means for securing a foot infixed position above said member whereby said member is compressed andmeans for moving said support back and forth below the foot whereby themember is caused to roll while in contact with the foot and whilecompressed.

10. In a device for treating human feet, the

securing a foot in fixed position above said ball that the same iscompressed and means whereby said ballf is caused to roll back and forthbelow and lengthwise ,of the foot while compressed.

11. In a-clevice for treating human feet, a .sup-

port member mounted for back and forth move-- to roll in contact withsaid foot.

' "HAROLD J. DonRancE.

CERTIFICATE I or 'oo'RREcT oN Q Patent No. 2-, o3o,s5e:"! Febrt'prfll,i936.

HAROLD J.- DO'RBANICEQ It is hereby certi fiedftha't error appearslinthepri nt'edj epeo-tfioation be the above numbered patentfre'qu irjingcorrection-as follows: "Page 3, first;

column, line 2-3, claim'8--,' Strike' out the wo'rd 'lbypressureegcerted; and: that the said Letters Patent should-be readwith-this correction therein that the same may conform to the record ofthe case 1 1 1 the Patent-Office Signed and sealed this 31st day ofMarch, A. DI'. .1936.

heelie m Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents

